The engines have been cleaned and fueled as the old Caustic Factory prepares for an action-packed New Music Friday. Our assembly lines have been tireless, turning out collections of fresh releases all year long, but we had to call in the heavy artillery for this week. September has been phenomenal for the music-obsessed, and it might have outdone itself this time around. This week, we have young bands cementing themselves as timeless acts, fresh collaborations that push the boundaries of modern music, and triumphant returns from beloved figures.
You can check out Glide’s picks for the week’s best new music, and be sure to listen to our Spotify playlist to stay up to date on this exhilarating month of releases.
Wednesday – “Townies”
Bleeds
The long-awaited follow-up to Wednesday’s landmark 2023 LP has arrived, and there isn’t going to be a disappointed face in the house. Bleeds continues to widen the gap between the southern rock poster children and their peers, as the band pieces together an emotionally dense, narrative-driven LP brimming with personality and prowess. “Townies” is an explosive, colorful, dense highlight from Wednesday’s latest that brings the faces you pass by to life with vivid imagery and palpable poetry.
MIRADOR – “Raider”
MIRADOR
The new band from Greta Van Fleet’s Jake Kiszka and Ida Mae’s Chris Turpin, MIRADOR, is here with their textured self-titled debut. These 12 songs introduce the new project as a sonic-driven hard rock outfit bursting with fresh takes on classic tropes, shining a light on the intricacies of the band. “Raider” sounds like a boulder barreling down a cliff, with throat-scratching vocals cutting through neck-breaking drums and unpredictable guitar riffs.
Kieran Hebden & William Tyler – “Secret City”
41 Longfield Street Late ‘80s
Kieran Hebden, the man behind Four Tet, and William Tyler team up in an unlikely pairing for a 7-song clinic in ambient instrumentals. 41 Longfield Street Late ‘80s is a hypnotic outing that pulls you in with waves of sonic solace, as the duo ships the listener off into a bright world of plush textures. “Secret City” closes out the collection with a more animated take on the pair’s sonic terrain, with subtle swells that allow the acoustics to roam to picturesque scenes.
Briscoe – “Adeline”
Heat of July
On their latest album, folk rock band Briscoe cement themselves as one of the genre’s brightest stars. Heat of July finds Briscoe challenging themselves to explore a more expansive sound, resulting in a poetically honed effort that details the range of this band. “Adeline” is a bright, heartfelt ode to opening up as the band looks to connect with someone who has turned back into a stranger.
Lola Young – “CAN WE IGNORE IT? :(”
I’m Only Fucking Myself
The highly anticipated LP from Lola Young, who is shaping up to be the next unavoidable pop star, has hit the world like a meteor of unapologetic honesty. I’m Only Fucking Myself is a defining project for the young artist as she painstakingly dissects heavy feelings and finds the infectiousness in her hurt, creating a firework-style tracklist that scratches the surface of Young’s potential. “CAN WE IGNORE IT? :(” is a moving highlight with chugging tempos that push the artist’s deeply personal songwriting to stadium-sized.
Golden Apples – “Divine Blight”
Shooting Star
Philadelphia’s Golden Apples, centered around Russell Edling, wanted something brighter, bolder, and more daring for their new album Shooting Star, and the jangly alt-pop band landed on something they should be proud of. The band’s new 12-song LP is brimming with a rainbow of risks that pay off beautifully, as Edling’s songwriting becomes more potent, and the delivery of those words becomes all-encompassing. “Divine Blight” is a delightfully twisted take on an acoustic ballad, with Edling’s wistful vocals navigating swaying acoustics splashed with electronic bliss.
The Third Mind – “Before We Said Goodbye”
Right Now!
Dave Alvin’s The Third Mind emerges with another installment in their journey to modern fusion perfection. Right Now! is an intoxicating LP that finds the supergroup thriving in ambiance as they take their time venturing into dusty rock fusion with hints of soul, jazz, and psychedelia. “Before We Said Goodbye” is a softer cut off the new record, with cloud-like guitars rolling across smooth drums, with heartfelt vocals cutting through it all to anchor the listener to reality.
Atmosphere – “Jester”
Jestures
26 songs for each letter of the alphabet. The concept of Atmosphere’s latest album is simple, but their execution of their idea is far from rudimentary. Jestures finds the Hip-hop duo flexing the prowess they have achieved over the course of their thirty-year career, putting together a tracklist that shows vocalist Slug’s acrobatic vocals and raw songwriting abilities, and producer Ant’s impeccable range. “Jester” finds the duo reaching back to their roots for a smooth yet aggressive lo-fi Hip-hop tune.
Kendra Morris – “Don’t Wanna Be Happy”
Next
The singles that preceded the latest album from Kendra Morris set the bar high, and the soulful revivalist exceeded any and all expectations with Next. One listen to this ten-song collection and the title will make sense. Across Next, Morris challenges herself to find new ways to present her honed prowess, and the results are sprawling. “Don’t Wanna Be Happy” sounds like it was taken off a dusty record from your parents’ collection, with Morris employing a hint of nostalgia to soften the blow of the heartwrenching lyrics.
Nation of Language – “Silhouette”
Dance Called Memory
Nation of Language has been adding streaks of pulsating synths to their post-punk edges for years now, and yet they still sound fresh on their latest album, Dance Called Memory. The newest album from the Brooklyn trio finds the band adding an eerie tone that evokes longing and wistfulness, as the band proves to be far from done evolving. “Silhouette” is a moving highlight that personifies memories and brings them to life with hauntingly beautiful vocals and unassuming yet gut-punching songwriting.
Frog – “MARIAH VAR. XVII”
THE COUNT
After establishing their off-kilter approach to modern indie rock on their 2023 LP, Grog, the New York-based duo, Frog, looks to keep the momentum going on THE COUNT. This release marks the band’s second album of 2025 after the February release of 1000 Variations on the Same Song. THE COUNT features more rough edges than the band’s previous release, more lo-fi warmth and jagged edges, and “MARIAH VAR. XVII” is just the start of the warmth that blankets the listener. The fuzzy vocals sit on top of rolling piano melodies for a rusty ballad with a fantastic vocal performance.
Benny Sings – “Song 14” (Feat. Kelsey González)
Beat Tape III
Singer/songwriter/producer Benny Sings unleashes the latest installment of his Beat Tape series. Beat Tape III features quick sketches of lo-fi pop bliss, with Sings flexing his production muscles and quaint songwriting abilities across 22 spellbinding songs, with some fantastic guests to tie everything together. “Song 14” features The Free National’s Kelsey González, with the duo teaming up for a warm, minimalistic soul-pop record that accomplishes so much with so little.
Toro Y Moi – “Starlink (unerthed)
Unerthed: Hole Erth Unplugged
The consistently evolving Toro Y Moi reimagines his 2024 rap-rock LP Hole Erth as a dusty piece of Americana written horseback under a red Texas sun. Unerthed: Hole Erth Unplugged is an acoustic take on the stellar experiment from Toro, which allows the lyrics of Hole Erth to hit even harder as they are given a clear passage to frolic across. The hyper-pop-influenced “Starlink” becomes a cinematic ballad, as soaring strings emphasize Toro Y Moi’s nimble vocals.
Thundercat & Remi Wolf – “Children of the Baked Potato”
Single
It is not every day that the bass virtuoso and modern jazz giant Thundercat graces us with new music, so his latest double-single is a welcomed gift and joyous occasion. Along with the breezy, psych-rock-style solo effort, “I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time,” Thundercat also released “Children of the Baked Potato,” a bubbly collaboration with Remi Wolf. The duo creates funky excellence with a sweeping, disco-tinted anthem that romanticizes alone time.
Courtney Marie Andrews – “Cons and Clowns”
Single
We haven’t heard from Courtney Marie Andrews in three years, but her triumphant return has finally arrived. As the artist prepares to tour in 2026, the singer/songwriter drops off “Cons and Clowns,” an emotionally vulnerable, powerful anthem centered around self-expression and acceptance. Andrews will be on tour in Europe and the U.K. starting in February 2026.
